


Take me home

by Lilliclementi93



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Love, Romance, Season/Series 04, Speculation, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-21 16:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6058900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilliclementi93/pseuds/Lilliclementi93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After defeating HIVE, the team takes a break.<br/>Felicity finally decides that it's time to have the surgery that will make her walk again, and hopefully, will change the lives of millions of people.<br/>While she struggles with her own body, Oliver and Felicity will finally talk about their relationship, and if there's something left to save.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "You cut me down to the bone...now you're dancing all over my soul"

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

_“I’m falling to pieces_

_But I need this_

_Yeah, I need this_

_You’re my fault_

_My weakness_

_When did you turn so cold?”_

Felicity woke up in a hospital bed for the second time in a year. The first time was after a six hours surgery that failed to repair the nerve damage in her back. 

So much had happened after that.

Laurel was dead.

The thought of her friend brought tears in her eyes. 

They didn’t have the time to grieve her, because they wanted revenge. They spent every moment they had in the lair, searching and planning the next move. And finally, a month ago they did it.

Malcom, HIVE and Darhk were gone. And they were not fine.

After that, the team agreed on take a bit of time for themselves.

Quentin went to Central City to be with Laurel’s mother and Sara for a while, with Donna visiting him time to time.

Thea decided to travel again for a couple of months, alone.

John simply spent most of his time with his family, and with his brother, who finally had the courage to reach out for Carly and his child.

Oliver became mayor of Star City.

After she found out about William and she called off the wedding, he kept his distance from her, respecting her need for space.

He tried to talk to her about them, more then a few times, and he made very clear that he loved her and that he would have waited for her, as long as she need it.

She moved out from the loft into her old apartment, and she buried herself into work at Palmer Tech. She worked non-stop with Curtis and finally decided that she would be the first human tester for his Bio-stimulator.

And if it would work, they could change the life of millions of people.

So, she was in a hospital bed again, this time, by her own will. 

She didn’t tell anyone about the surgery, except Curtis, so when she opened her eyes for the first time and saw John sitting by her side, she was beyond surprised.

He was smiling down at her.

“Hi.”

She was still sleepy but she smiled back.

“Hi. How…Who…”

“You really think I wouldn’t find out? I called you for an entire day, then I went to Palmer Tech and I spoke to Curtis. He was here before, by the way…”

She smiled again.

“I was going to tell you…”

“By walking to my front door?” He teased back, reaching for her hand.

“Maybe.” She winked and he chuckled. 

“How do you feel?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to sense her entire body.

She tensed.

“I don’t feel anything right now. Maybe it didn’t work-“

“Hey, I spoke with the doctor, he told me that the surgery went well, and that it would take a while for the technology to start working.”

She relaxed a little, searching John’s eyes.

“Thank you for being here.” She whispered, squeezing his hand.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

He kissed her hand in his, his face serious again.

“He would want to know too, Felicity. You know that. He would want to be here…”

She closed her eyes for a moment, before looking back at him.

“How’s he?”

John squeezed her hand.

“He keeps up. He works during the day, and he patrols the streets by night. I think he’s still…processing everything.”

She nodded.

“But he’s not fine, Felicity. He asks about you…all the time. He misses you.”

She lowered her head.

“John, I…”                       

“Hey, look. You know how I feel about the whole thing; I’m not trying to justify what he did. In fact, I gave him a piece of my mind back then. But Felicity…he loves you. Oliver Queen, the man who brought us into his crazy life four years ago, the man who killed people, the man incapable to feel anything…who was too damage, too far gone…he loves you like I’ve never seen anyone love. And he’s not himself without you.”

She had tears in her eyes as she shifted on the bed.

“He loves you. And he made a mistake.”

“John-“

“You love him...” It wasn't a question.

A few tears escaped her eyes. “You know I do…”

“I know. He made a mistake…my point is, do you love him enough to forgive him?”

She broke John’s gaze as more tears ran down her face.

“This isn't about love. I want to forgive him...But, I don’t know if I can. I…I don’t know if I’m strong enough this time.”

John squeezed her hand, leaning to brush away her tears with his thumb. He smiled.

“I think that you lying in this bed is a pretty good proof that you are strong enough to do anything, Felicity Smoak.”

She chuckled through the tears, taking a few deep breaths. 

“I know that you’re scared, and I know that he hurt you Felicity. But I can’t help but think that, after all we’ve been through…after Laurel…You two are worth fighting for each other. You just…have to believe it.”

He kissed her forehead.

“I’ll let you rest, I’ll be back in the morning.”

She was lost in his words, but his voice from the door broke her thoughts.

“He will find out about this…you know that, right?”

She smiled at him.

“I know.” She whispered back.

He nodded.

“Rest.”

 

The next few days, she was still recovering from the surgery. She started to have a little more sensibility in her legs, but still zero movements.

Curtis and John were often with her, and after three days and many checks, Curtis and the doctor agreed that the tech was working fine, and it would simply take just a little while and a lot of patience for actually working.

Two days later in the middle of the night, she opened her eyes from an intense feeling in her legs. She woke up completely, moving upright on the bed.

A sharp pain made her cringe for a moment, and then she could feel her toes.

And then her feet…

It was like she could see the life running through her legs again, passing by her toes and then up, in her knees and tights.

Forgetting about sleep, she was overwhelmed by the sensations and the need to be out in the open.

She put her black cardigan over the hospital gown and she maneuvered herself in the wheelchair.

Gripping the IV, she wheeled herself in the empty corridor towards the elevator.

“Miss? What are you doing out of bed?”

Felicity turned towards the voice of the nurse. The lady was watching her curiously.

“I’m sorry, I just need a bit of fresh air.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. Just…I can’t sleep.”

The nurse smiled at her for a moment, moving to check her IV.

“Take the elevator to the roof…it’s quiet and the view is amazing.”

Felicity couldn’t help but smile back at her kindness. She wheeled towards the open doors of the elevator before the nurse spoke again.

“You’re not going to kill yourself by jumping out of the roof…right?”

The seriousness in her tone made Felicity laugh a little.

“Nope. Not doing that…ever.”

The nurse relaxed.

“Okay good. You can go then.”

 

When she was finally on the roof, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The nurse was right, the view was breathtaking.

The building was one of the highest in the city and she could see everything, even the sea. The few lights creating a glow on the entire roof.

The sky was dark but clean, and she could see at the horizon a hint of red and yellow, signal that the sun was about to rise.

She moved to the end of the roof and sit there, closing her eyes for a moment.

_She could feel her legs._

That thought made her head spin.

_She could move her toes._

All ten of them, like she used to do while humming a song in her head, taking a bath.

A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

Suddenly the need to know if she could stand became overwhelming. She removed the safety on her bare feet and slowly…lowered them on the ground.

At the flash of cold on her skin, a shiver ran through her spine and she giggled at the feeling.

She gripped the railing with one hand and the pole of the IV with the other, testing the aching, sleepy muscles of her legs and feet.

Once they were planting firmly on the ground, she pushed herself up.

 _Come on, come on_.

She wobbled on the spot for a few second, her head spinning and she gripped the railing more strongly, keeping most of her weight on it.

_She was standing!_

On her own two feet.

Again.

A sob escaped her mouth and she clamped a hand on it, leaning on the railing.

She was crying and laughing at the same time, and when she looked down at the toes, digging them into the ground, another sob wrecked her body.

And suddenly, the hair at the nape of her neck were up, and she felt a familiar tingling in her belly.

He was right there, on that roof with her.

_Of course he was._

_“You cut me down to the bone_

_Now you’re dancing_

_All over my soul_

_I’m falling to pieces_

_To pieces, to pieces”_


	2. "But I still stay...cause you're the only thing I know"

_“But I still stay cause you're the only thing I know_

_So won't you take, oh, won't you take me home_

_Take me home, home, home_

_Take me home, home, home_

_Take me”_

She turned her head towards the door on the roof, and their eyes met for the first time in a month.

Oliver was panting, like he had ran for miles, and one of his hand was on his mouth.

“Oh God…” She heard his whisper of awe, and she saw his eyes blinking away the tears in disbelief.

At the sight of him, another wave of emotions hit her, and she shifted a little towards him, gripping the IV in her hand.

He moved to her like he was in trance, stopping a few feet away.

“Felicity…”

His eyes were roaming down her body and up again, taking her in. After a few moments of silence, he opened his arms toward her, a challenge clear in his eyes.

She looked down at his hands, five feet in front of her. She shook her head a little.

“I...I don’t think I can do it.” She whispered into the night.

He smiled.

“I think you can.” His tone was sure and confident, and he was watching her with so much love that her heart clenched in her chest a little.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her body fully to him, slowly losing the grip on the railing. She was standing on her own.

She felt so heavy on her legs, like she had a block of concrete on her back.

She moved her right leg forward. Then the other.

It was hard, and she was tired. Her body had to learn how to move properly again, and she was pushing it to the limit.

“Hey. Look at me.” She raised her eyes to him.

“Don’t tense up.” He was smiling, eyes shining with tears. “You can do it.”

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. Another full step and she was panting.

“Come on, you’re doing great.”

His voice was soothing and she took another step forward. A drop of sweat rolled down her spine and she was breathing heavily.

“Breathe Felicity.” Two steps.

“Breathe, baby. Come on.”

One step.

She closed her eyes and took the last step, collapsing in his open arms.

He was laughing as he embraced her tight against him, keeping her up. She was crying and giggling at the same time and she buried her head in his neck, enveloped by his familiar scent.

He raised her up and they were spinning in the sunrise. She closed her eyes, savoring the sound of his laugh and the air shifting around them.

When he stopped moving, she lowered her head to watch him.

She looked into his eyes and she saw so much emotions staring back at her, than her head started spinning again on it’s own.

“Oliver…I feel dizzy.”

He brushed her cheek with his thumbs and she closed her eyes for a moment as her traitor heart did a flip in her chest. The next thing she knew, she was sitting again. Not on her wheelchair, but on the very large edge of the roof.

Oliver was standing right in front of her, smiling warmly at her.

They weren’t so close to each other in over a month, and the nervousness washed over her like a rainfall. She clamped her hands in her lap, breaking his gaze.

“How…uhm. How did you find me?”

He took a seat in front of her.

“I was patrolling…and I stopped at your house two nights in a row to check on you -“ She raised her eyes to his again. She should have imagined that he was keeping an eye on her…even after everything.

A flash of sadness crossed her eyes, and he cleared his throat.

“Anyway…you weren’t home. So I got worried and I called John. He didn’t want to tell me, but I was pretty upset so…he took pity on me I guess.”

She smiled a little at his babble.

“I meant, how did you know I was up here?”

His features softened, and he chuckled.

“Oh…I went to your room and you weren’t there. I..I kind of started yelling, and a nurse told me you were on the roof...before she threated me to kick me out of the hospital.”

She laughed a little, twisting her hands in her lap.

“She asked me if I was going to jump out of the roof. She didn’t know that-“

“-you’re afraid of highs.”

“-I’m afraid of highs.”

The words were spoken at the same time, and she couldn’t help but looking at him in the eyes. He was watching her, and the love and adoration she saw in his blue orbs almost took her breath away. He smiled softly at her, taking one of her hands in his big warm ones.

At the touch, a shiver ran through her spine.

“Are you cold?” He whispered, caressing her hand.

“No, I-I’m fine.” She stumbled on her words and kicked herself mentally.

He kept drawing circles on her palm, and she turned a little to look at the yellow sky of the early morning.

“I can’t believe that…I mean…” He struggled to get the words out, and she squeezed his hand a little.

“I know. I’m kind of overwhelmed.”

“You can walk again…that’s-that’s unbelievable.” He savored the words and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“It’s amazing.” He whispered, wiping it away with his thumb, and she shivered again.

“After the accident…I thought that was it, you know?”

He nodded. Of course he knew, he was there while she cried herself to sleep…listening to the sounds that were tearing his heart apart…incapable of doing anything for her.

“But then Curtis gave me the tech, and I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t, actually…”

She closed her eyes for a moment.

“But at the same time it made me wonder…why me?”

He narrowed his brows at her, and she shook her head lightly.

“I mean, people get this type of injury all the time…they lose the ability to walk or even worst, from diseases or accidents. So I thought, why do I get to have a cure? A way to make me walk again…a way to make my life like I want it again…when the rest of them don’t? It’s not fair...”

He squeezed her hand in his.

“The board…they didn’t want to patent the tech. They said it was too much money on something too advanced to be tested and with too many risks.” She rolled her eyes at her own words.

He shifted in front of her, tilting her chin up.

“Is that way you offered as a tester?” His voice was inclined with emotions and she could only nod.

“I wanted to. I had to…I made a deal with them. I offered myself as a tester, I found the doctors able to do it, and if would work…they had to speed the marketing process and sell the tech at an affordable price for the hospitals.”

He was watching her in awe. “Oh…”

“By the end of the year, if all goes well, Curtis could change the lives of millions of people…people who never though they could walk again…or ran, or swim, or I don’t know…dance!”

She was getting excited only talking about it and a huge smile crept on her face.

“Or walking down the aisle…” His soft words reached her ears and she raised her eyes to his. He gently took her other hand in his, bringing up to kiss her palm.

“Oliver…” She shook her head a little, staring at their joined hands in her lap.

“Please…just listen to me. I know that I don’t even deserve that but, I just need you to know that I’m sorry. I made a mistake, and I hurt you…the last person-“

He took a long breath, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I feel like I can’t breathe. I know that sounds untrue and it’s too late, but I need you to know that I never…ever wanted to hurt you.”

“Oliver…please.” She didn’t even know what she was pleading for. He stopped her, moving close to her.

“Felicity, you...us, was the best thing that has ever happened to me. You made me the man I’m today. I can finally look at myself in the mirror without seeing a monster staring back at me. Everything you do, everything you say…damn, every breath you take makes me a better person. And I’m grateful for that Felicity, for you.”

She knew she was crying again, tears were fogging her sight but she just couldn’t move, couldn’t stop looking at the man in front of her.

“I love you. I love you so much…and I’m never going to stop.” He brushed a strand of blonde locks away from her face, caressing her cheek.

“I messed up so many times that I don’t deserve anything from you…and I know that. But if you can find, deep in your bones…or in a little corner of your heart, the strength to give me another chance…I will be right here, waiting for you.”

He cupped her face with his hands, brushing away the tears, staring right into Felicity’s deep blue eyes.

“But if you don’t, if you can’t…I need you to know that it’s okay. That I understand. Because…the simple act of being in love with you is enough for me.”

She was staring at him through the tears, unable to say a word, when suddenly the door on the roof opened and the nurse stepped out in the early morning.

“Miss Smoak? I’m sorry, but I have to take you down now. The doctor is waiting for you.”

Felicity shifted her eyes from the nurse to Oliver.

“Oliver…I-I-“

He kissed her forehead, closing his eyes into her skin. “I love you.”

She took a deep breath, tilting her head to meet his eyes.

“I love you too, Oliver. But I...It’s not why…I mean-“

He leaned his forehead to hers.

“Shh, I know. Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”

His breath ghosted on her face and she nodded. “I promise.”

 

“ _Round in circles_

_Here we go_

_With the highest highs_

_And the lowest lows_

_But no one shakes me like you do_

_My best mistake was you_

_You're my sweet affliction_

_Cause you hurt me right_

_But you do it nice_

_Round in circles_

_Here we go_

_Oh Yeah”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, i totally stole Pacey's line. #sorrynotsorry :)  
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
